Powerbeats Pro 2 vs Beats Fit Pro: Which workout earbuds win?

When it comes to finding the perfect workout earbuds, Beats offers two compelling options with different designs, features, and price points. Both the recently released Powerbeats Pro 2 and the established Beats Fit Pro are designed specifically for active users, but they take different approaches to keeping your audio secure during workouts. In this comparison, we’ll help you decide which of these workout-focused earbuds deserves a spot in your gym bag.

Editor’s note: this article was published on February 25, 2025, and is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the Powerbeats Pro 2 compared to the Beats Fit Pro?

The Powerbeats Pro 2 and Beats Fit Pro take different approaches to secure fit. The Powerbeats Pro 2 features an over-ear hook design, similar to its predecessor, which wraps behind your outer ear to ensure the earbuds stay in place during vigorous movement. This design is extremely secure, though it is normal to experience pressure on the back of their ears after several hours of wear. The Powerbeats Pro 2 comes with five different silicon ear tip sizes (XS to XL) to help you find the perfect fit.

In contrast, the Beats Fit Pro uses a wingtip design with tapered, angled extensions that tuck under your antihelix. The design is smaller and more discrete, with the earbuds hardly protruding from your ears while still providing a secure fit for most activities. The Fit Pro comes with three ear tip sizes to choose from.

Both earbuds include ear tip fit tests to help you find the optimal seal. You can access these tests through the iOS Settings for the Powerbeats Pro 2 (or Beats app on Android) and similarly through the Beats app for the Fit Pro or iOS Settings.

When it comes to charging cases, the Powerbeats Pro 2 case is smaller than its predecessor but still significantly larger than most wireless earbud cases, and can become wuite the pocket bulge. The Beats Fit Pro case is more compact and easy to slip into a pocket. The Fit Pro case also has a somewhat fiddly lid that can easily spring open if dropped, though both use USB-C for charging.

Both earbuds feature an IPX4 rating for water resistance, which means they can handle sweat and light splashes but shouldn’t be submerged in water.

Do the Powerbeats Pro 2 or Beats Fit Pro have more features?

The Powerbeats Pro 2 boasts some newer features, most notably heart-rate monitoring. Using optical sensors that pulse a green LED light over 100 times per second, the earbuds can measure your heart rate during workouts. While this doesn’t provide continuous heart-rate monitoring throughout the day, it can share data with third-party fitness apps and equipment for real-time monitoring during exercise sessions.

Both earbuds feature active noise cancelation (ANC) and transparency modes, allowing you to either block out environmental noise or stay aware of your surroundings. The Powerbeats Pro 2 also includes spatial audio with head tracking when paired with Apple devices, thanks to the newer H2 chip.

For Android users, both earbuds have dedicated Beats apps that provide similar functionality to what iOS users get built into their devices’ settings. These apps allow for customization of controls, listening modes, and access to the ear tip fit test. Both earbuds feature automatic ear detection for play/pause functionality, with skin-detection sensors similar to those found in newer AirPods models.

How do the Powerbeats Pro 2 and Beats Fit Pro connect?

The Powerbeats Pro 2 features Apple’s H2 chip, the company’s latest in wireless audio technology. It enables instant connectivity and integration with Apple devices, including one-touch pairing, automatic switching between devices, Audio Sharing, hands-free Siri, and Find My support. It supports Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC and AAC codecs.

The Beats Fit Pro uses the older H1 chip but still offers many of the same Apple ecosystem integrations, just without some of the latest refinements. It supports Bluetooth 5.0 with the same SBC and AAC codec support.

A key limitation for both earbuds is the lack of Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting to multiple devices simultaneously, particularly important for non-Apple devices. The Powerbeats Pro 2 requires disconnecting from Apple devices to pair with other equipment (like fitness machines for heart rate data), which is an annoyance that could potentially be fixed in a future firmware update.

Both earbuds work well for Android users, though the AAC codec performance can vary across Android hardware. Neither offers aptX support, which would have made them truly OS-agnostic.

Is battery life better on the Powerbeats Pro 2 or Beats Fit Pro?

The Powerbeats Pro 2 offers significantly better battery life, with up to 10 hours of listening time on a single charge with ANC enabled and up to 45 hours total with the charging case. This is nearly double what most other wireless earbuds (including AirPods) can provide.

The Beats Fit Pro, in comparison, offers up to 6 hours with ANC on (tested at 6 hours and 22 minutes) and an additional 18 hours from the case for a combined 24 hours of total battery life.

Both earbuds offer quick charging capabilities. The Powerbeats Pro 2 doesn’t specify its quick charge rate, while the Beats Fit Pro provides 60 minutes of playback from just 5 minutes in the case.

Only the Powerbeats Pro 2 supports wireless charging, with the Beats Fit Pro relying on a wired USB-C connection for recharging.

Do the Powerbeats Pro 2 or Beats Fit Pro block noise better?

As always, getting a proper seal with the right ear tips is crucial for effective noise isolation and cancellation performance. However, the Powerbeats Pro 2 has superior noise cancelation, with our testing showing it reduces external noise by an average of 83%, comparable to the AirPods Pro 2. It effectively eliminates ambient noise and significantly reduces louder sounds, like people talking, especially when music is playing.

The Beats Fit Pro’s noise canceling is good but not exceptional. It uses adaptive ANC that calibrates intensity in real-time and can quiet some bass and midrange frequencies. It’s effective enough to reduce the sound of trains passing outside a window but struggles more when used in noisy places like a train.

Both earbuds include transparency modes that allow environmental sounds to pass through when needed. The Powerbeats Pro 2, in particular, has very natural-sounding transparency that makes it seem like you’re not wearing earbuds at all.

Do the Powerbeats Pro 2 sound better than the Beats Fit Pro?

Both earbuds are tuned for energetic listening with emphasized bass and treble, which works well for workout scenarios but isn’t aimed at audiophiles seeking a neutral sound signature.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 has a sound profile that emphasizes sub-bass and treble, which works well for high-energy workout music. The earbuds have a particular under-emphasis in upper treble, giving them a darker tone overall, but this may be preferable for runners and athletes who want to focus on bass-driven music during workouts.

The Beats Fit Pro also favors bass notes, though to a bearable degree, with consumer-friendly treble emphasis that keeps instruments like flutes, violins, and hi-hats audible during bassier segments. This tuning works well for popular workout music genres like pop, hip-hop, and rap.

A significant point of difference is that the Powerbeats Pro 2 sounds noticeably different (and worse) with ANC disabled, producing a more pronounced U-shaped frequency response with comparatively loud sub-bass and treble when noise canceling is turned off.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

Both earbuds score well in MDAQS testing, which simulates a panel of everyday listeners’ subjective impressions.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 with ANC enabled receives an Overall Score of 4.6 out of 5, with a Timbre score of 4.8, Distortion score of 3.7, and Immersiveness score of 3.6. Without ANC, these scores drop to an Overall Score of just 3.8, suggesting most people will prefer listening with ANC enabled.

The Beats Fit Pro earns a slightly higher Overall Score of 4.7, with a matching Timbre score of 4.8, a better Distortion score of 4.3, but a lower Immersiveness score of 3.0.

These scores suggest that most listeners will enjoy the sound quality of both earbuds, with the Fit Pro potentially offering slightly cleaner audio reproduction, while the Powerbeats Pro 2 may provide better spatial imaging when ANC is enabled.

Objective Measurements

As you can see in the chart above, the frequency response of both earbuds deviates from our house curve in similar areas. In particular, they prioritize bass and treble frequencies for a more exciting, workout-friendly sound.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 shows an under-emphasis in the 500-900Hz range, meaning some vocals and mid-range instruments like piano and guitar sound quieter than they should. It significantly boosts treble frequencies around 5-7kHz, which can increase perceived detail but may become uncomfortable at loud volumes. There’s also a steep drop-off above 8kHz, limiting the brightness and airiness in cymbals and other high frequencies.

The Beats Fit Pro has a more conventional consumer-friendly tuning with elevated bass and treble that works well for popular music genres without the same pronounced mid-range dip or high-frequency roll-off.

Neither earbud offers a custom equalizer. Instead, both models use Apple’s Adaptive EQ technology to adjust sound based on fit.

Do the Powerbeats Pro 2 or Beats Fit Pro have a better microphone?

Both earbuds have decent but not exceptional microphone quality, with some notable differences in performance.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 microphone processing is handled on the iOS device it’s paired to, so it works best when connected to Apple products. Testing showed that the microphones struggle with wind noise, which could be problematic for outdoor calls.

The Beats Fit Pro microphone is okay for phone calls, but callers on the other end can hear pretty much everything going on around you. It’s suitable for personal calls and more casual conference calls but not ideal for professional use in noisy environments.

Neither earbud offers exceptional call quality, but you can judge for yourself by listening to our samples below.

Powerbeats Pro 2 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Beats Fit Pro microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Powerbeats Pro 2 microphone demo (Street conditions):

Beats Fit Pro microphone demo (Street conditions):

Powerbeats Pro 2 vs Beats Fit Pro: Price and availability

The Powerbeats Pro 2 is the more premium option at $249 at Amazon, positioning itself at the higher end of the workout earbud market.

The Beats Fit Pro is more affordable at $159 at Amazon, and will go on sale more often since it has been available for longer.

The $50 price difference may be a deciding factor for many buyers, especially considering that the Beats Fit Pro still offers many of the same core features, though without the heart-rate monitoring capability.

Should you get the Powerbeats Pro 2 or Beats Fit Pro?

The decision between these two workout-focused earbuds ultimately comes down to your specific needs, preferences, and budget.

Both earbuds offer excellent workout performance with secure fits, IPX4 water resistance, and energetic sound profiles that work well for exercise. They also share many of the same fundamental features, like ANC, transparency mode, and automatic ear detection.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 is the more premium option with its heart-rate monitoring, superior battery life, better noise cancelation, and newer H2 chip. Still, when it comes down to it, the Beats Fit Pro offers many of the same core features in a more discreet design at a lower price point if you don’t need the latest and greatest.

What are some other workout earbuds to consider?

For athletes looking beyond the Beats ecosystem, there are two standout alternatives worth considering. The first is the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport ($329 at Amazon) takes fitness tracking to the next level with both heart-rate monitoring and body temperature sensing, making them ideal for serious athletes who want comprehensive biometric data during workouts. Their five-band equalizer helps tame their bass-heavy sound signature to your preference.

The second recommendation is the Jabra Elite 8 Active (Gen 2) ($229.99 at Amazon) offers exceptional durability with an IP68 rating that outclasses both Beats models, providing a secure fit without hooks or wings while remaining discreet enough for office use. They work equally well with Android and iOS devices, offering truly platform-neutral performance for users who switch between ecosystems.

Frequently asked questions